


Those First Nights

by JulianObviouslyLovesToad



Category: X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Bad Decisions, Bathing/Washing, Daddy Issues, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Rejected Advances, Sort-of-Rejected Advances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-17
Updated: 2015-05-18
Packaged: 2018-03-30 22:16:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3953809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JulianObviouslyLovesToad/pseuds/JulianObviouslyLovesToad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Toad puts up with Magneto's verbal and physical abuse because of those first few nights the two spent together, when the older man could afford to be more tender.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Toad stood in the doorway to Magneto’s quarters, playing with the hem of his torn shirt.

“Um,” he started, fidgeting, looking for all the world like a small child who was afraid of getting scolded by a parent.

“Yes, Mortimer?” Magneto asked without even looking up from the book he held. He simply turned another page and started scanning it, reading quickly.

“I-“ Mortimer stumbled over his words for a moment. “I finished mopping. Is there anything else I could do for you, uh, sir?”

Erik looked up briefly, crystalline eyes taking in the short, chubby form, his eyebrows raising slightly before he looked back down to his book.

“You could take a shower,” Magneto offered, his voice even.

“I did, sir.”

“Then do it again, you’re still greasy.”

Mortimer fidgeted and made a soft, displeased noise. He shrunk back, hunching his shoulders when Erik looked up again.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, one brow arched.

“It- it was just an hour ago,” Toad muttered.

“Well, you did it wrong and should do it again.”

“But-“

“Do you need help showering?” Magneto asked, incredulous. He sighed and dog-eared the page, setting the book on the arm of the loveseat he’d been lounging on. “Come on, then,” he said, rolling up the sleeves of his button-down.

“W-what?”

“I’m going to teach you how to bathe yourself. Do pay attention, I won’t do this every night.” He motioned for Mortimer to follow as he stepped through a doorway that connected his bedroom to his lounge. Mortimer shucked off his beaten up shoes at the doorway and padded on bare feet across the carped floor, following Erik through one doorway and then another into the bathroom. The shorter man stood by awkwardly as Magneto turned on the tap using his powers. “Take off your clothes,” he said. When he didn’t hear any movement, he looked over at Mortimer. “You do take your clothes off to shower, don’t you?”

“Yes!” Toad gasped quietly. “I just- i-in front of other people is,” he trailed off, pulling a bit harshly on the hem of his battered shirt.

Realizing he might have taken on a tone that made the younger man uncomfortable, Erik sighed. “I assure you,” he said, “You don’t have anything that I haven’t seen before.”

“I know, but,” Mortimer fidgeted for a moment longer before pulling off his shirt. He started to fold it, but Erik took it from him.

“Just throw them over here on the toilet seat. I’ll have to get you some clean ones.”

Mortimer’s pants and briefs went quickly, and he covered as much of himself with his arms as he could.

“Into the tub now,” the older man said, taking a wash cloth from a drawer beside the sink. Toad quickly climbed into the tub, sitting in the lukewarm water. He covered himself once more. Erik sighed and knelt down. He dipped the cloth into the water in front of the younger mutant. He took a bar of soap from the holder and rubbed it in the cloth until it foamed. He put the bar back and held out his hand. “Give me your arm,” he said softly, taking care that his tone didn’t frighten Mortimer. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the way Mortimer moved his other arm to cover his jewels as he lifted his arm to present it to Erik. 

Mortimer watched Erik scrub his arm for a moment, wincing a bit at the rough treatment, taking note of the numbers on the older man’s arm. He let his eyes wander up to Erik’s face to distract himself from the rough pulling on the sensitive skin of his forearm. He admired the angular features and clear blue eyes; the slight graying of his sideburns and the fairest hint of a wrinkle on his forehead, exaggerated by the way he was focused on his task. 

Erik moved up his arm, his eyes widening at the sheer amount of dirt and filth he was scrubbing off. He held his hand out for the other’s other arm, and smirked at the way Toad continued to cover himself. The older man worked from his arm to his neck and back and then to his legs. At least, the parts of his legs that were above water. He found himself pleased that the younger man lifted his legs out of the water one at a time to let him scrub down to his feet.

“We will need to trim your nails later,” he said, letting the other relax his legs. “Alright,” Erik said, rinsing and re-soaping the cloth, “Stand up and clean your genitals.”  
Toad cautiously took the cloth and looked up at Erik for a moment. He pouted slightly.

“I’ll turn around,” Erik said, trying not to let irritation slip into his voice. When he did, he heard Toad stand and, after a moment, he heard the younger brunette hiss. “Don’t scrub them off,” Magneto joked. Toad whimpered. “Are you done?” 

“Yes,” Mortimer answered, barely audible over the sound of the still-running water.

“Good,” the older mutant said, using his powers to switch the flow from the tap to the showerhead. Toad sputtered at the sudden spray, startled. Erik chuckled again. “I’m sorry,” he said, turning around. Toad didn’t bother to cover himself that time, turned slightly away from the older man. “Rinse it all off.”

“D-done,” Mortimer said.

“Alright, now we need to wash your hair,” Erik advised, offering a bottle of shampoo. “Here, lean back,” he instructed, pouring a dollop of the liquid soap into his palm. He ran his fingers through Mortimer’s hair over and over, scratching his scalp slightly and coming the soap throughout the strands. The younger brunette was almost purring by the time he was given a slight nudge forward, back into the spray. Erik ran his fingers through short brown locks until they ran clear of soap and then turned off the water. “I’ll get you a towel, hold on a moment.”

Mortimer watched the other from under wet locks that hung down in his face, his bottom lip still sticking out slightly. Erik opened the door to a small cabinet with his abilities and took out a towel. He closed the door in the same way without even thinking about it.

“Come here,” he said, extending his arms with the towel spread between them.

Mortimer stepped out of the shower and into Erik’s near-embrace. His scrubbing was slightly rough, but effective. He was dried quickly. Erik produced a comb and brushed out Mortimer’s hair, letting Mortimer hold the towel around himself. 

“There. You look much better. Such an even skin-tone without all that filth. You could use a haircut, but frankly, I’m too tired to do so tonight. Tomorrow, perhaps.” He put his hands on Mortimer’s shoulders and allowed the younger man a moment to look at himself in the mirror. “I don’t think I have anything that will fit you except maybe a pair of pajamas. Let me see,” Erik said and walked away, leaving Toad blinking and staring after him. The taller man returned a moment later with a soft looking button down shirt and a pair of pants of the same material. “The legs will be a bit too long for you, but you can manage until we have more time. Go ahead, put them on. I will be in the sitting room.”  
Magneto left the younger man to dress.

He sat on the loveseat again, turning his attention once more to his book. A few minutes later, Toad emerged. All too long sleeves and pants, he was almost cute and Erik couldn’t help the small half-smile.

“What should I do with the dirty towels?” he asked in a tiny voice.

“Leave them, I will get them later.”

“I-is there anything else I can do for you?” Toad asked.

“You could relax for a few moments,” Erik offered, turning the page. When he didn’t receive an answer, he looked over at the younger man and found him still fidgeting. “Come, sit with me.”

Mortimer sat at the opposite end of the loveseat, as far from Erik as he could, and looked at the older man longingly. Erik turned his attention back to his book and held open one arm in a silent offering to the other. He chuckled at the speed at which the younger man was halfway in his lap. Erik smiled at the quiet sigh from Mortimer as he ran his fingers through damp locks. He decided he’d address the other’s dependence issues later, but for the moment he was content to let the younger man doze off on his leg; content to let him cling and coo.

After a while, Toad shifted, breathing directly on Erik’s groin. The older man shifted uncomfortably, but didn’t take his attention away from his book. After a minute the breath became nuzzling and Erik had to draw his attention away from his reading to look down at Mortimer.

“What are you doing?”

“I thought- I mean- For you, I could-“

“No, honey,” Erik said softly, trying to keep the hurt from his voice at the realization that Mortimer thought he needed to repay him for a bath and some clothes with oral sex. “You don’t need to do that,” he said, gently scratching the younger man’s scalp, closing his eyes and trying to purge the image of the hurt look on Mortimer’s face from his memory. “Just rest.” Erik said. “That’s what I want from you.”

“Thank you,” Mortimer muttered into Erik’s cotton clad thigh and the older man felt himself overcome with a surge of righteous fury. The fact that filthy humans had treated Mortimer like a cheap whore just for the fact he was a mutant.

“Don’t worry about it,” Erik said, scratching the other’s scalp and listening to him coo.

The way Mortimer acted was one more reason, in Erik’s opinion, that the world needed Magneto. He decided then and there to make the needy young mutant his right hand man, and to make sure they got their revenge together.


	2. Chapter 2

Erik had fallen asleep stroking Mortimer’s hair and woke to the smell of food. He huffed at the fact that he’d already grown so comfortable around the sycophantic youth that he was able to slip in and out of his lounge without waking him. However, the sight of the younger man holding a filled tray made him smile.

“Good morning,” Toad said, holding out the tray. Erik accepted it and looked down at all the delicious options the young man had given him.

“My goodness,” he said, picking up a triangular piece of toast. “Did you make all of this?” Erik asked as he broke the yolk of a sunny-side-up egg with a corner of the bread.

“Yes sir,” Toad muttered, sitting next to him. “I didn’t know what you’d like, so I made a little of everything. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. This is lovely.” Magneto couldn’t decide between cold cuts and cheese or sausage or pierogi? That was cute, made Erik smile. “Did you make these?” He asked, picking up one of the dumplings.

“Yes, sir,” Mortimer answered, wringing his hands. He watched with wide eyes as the older man took a bite. “Do you like them?”

“They are wonderful,” he answered. “I think I’ll have you cook for me every day. Given that you are willing, of course.”

“I-I’d like that,” Mortimer said, finally giving a smile. Erik returned the expression.

The older mutant finished the meal in near silence, only offering praise with each new thing he tried. He sat the tray aside and finished his coffee slowly, listening to the radio that he’d turned on with his abilities. 

“That was lovely,” Erik offered when he sat his mug aside. He let out a tiny ‘oof’ when he found himself with a lap full of Mortimer. “Well, hello,” he said with a chuckle.

“Sorry,” Mortimer muttered, burying his face in Erik’s neck for a moment.

“Alright,” the older man said, moving to pull the affectionate young man back. He stopped when Mortimer whimpered. “Well, fine. I guess you can stay there for a minute, but bear in mind I have work to do.”

Fifteen minutes later, Mortimer was asleep in his lap and Erik muttered a quiet “Gott verdammt” and rolled his eyes. He smiled a bit and used his abilities to draw over a notebook and pen to resume his work.

A while later, Mortimer woke to lowered voices amidst a conversation.

“I’m not going to throw someone away because they’re broken. All mutants are welcome in my care.” His hand tightened on Mortimer’s back, holding him close. “Aside from that, Mortimer isn’t broken. He just needs to be cared for, for once in his god damn life.”

“Yes, sure. But is what he can contribute worth dealing with that?” the stranger asked, no doubt gesturing to the way the chubby younger man had taken over Erik’s lap.

“Yes. Yes it is.” The firm hand gently rubbed up and down his back and Mortimer couldn’t help but coo quietly. “No one is without some use. So far Mortimer has proved himself more than capable of at least cooking and cleaning. There is no doubt in my mind that, with a bit of training and a bit of time and consideration for his issues, he will be an asset on the battlefield as well.”

“I don’t entirely agree. Look at the way he’s clinging to you now. Who is to say that he won’t go into the arms of the next person or group who offers him the slightest bit of comfort?”

Magneto was silent for a moment.

“He’s never known the love of a father. He’s looking for that in me and will grow out of it eventually.”

“As if you’d know what the love of a father is like.”

“Hold your tongue!” Erik raised his voice slightly. He looked to Mortimer, who was doing a damned good job of pretending to still be asleep. “I am a man, a mutant. I know what kind of love my brethren need. It is inherent in all of us.” He raised his hand to Mortimer’s hair and petted him lightly. “Many of the mutants who come to us will see me as their father. I am ready to accept that responsibility.”

“Whatever you say. You’re the boss,” the voice said. 

Later that day, Mortimer found himself with a group of other mutants, running drills; running, sit-ups, push-ups, jumping – which Mortimer excelled at – and some hand-to-hand combat, which wasn’t exactly the young mutant’s strong suit. But he gave it his best effort, and Erik’s approving nod was all the brunette needed to keep going, to keep pushing himself beyond what he thought were his limits.

Though he was thoroughly exhausted, Mortimer managed to make dinner for the whole lot of them, the dozen or so mutants that had gathered under Magneto, and cooked enough for everyone, even those who ate like ravenous beasts. He sighed happily when Erik patted his head as the younger man cleaned the dishes. 

When the sun went down, Toad showered and went back to Erik’s sitting room, finding the older man bent over a pad of paper with a pen floating idly in the air beside him as he scanned the page. 

“Is there something wrong with your quarters, Mortimer?” Erik asked without looking up.

“No sir, I just- I-I’m sorry,” he stuttered in response.

“It’s alright. You should rest. You’ve had a long day today and many more long days in front of you.”

“Can I sit with you for a few?” Mortimer asked, his voice tiny.

“I don’t see why not,” Erik said, gesturing to the seat beside him. 

Toad sat and watched Erik scan the page of the notebook he was looking at. Every once in a while, the older man swiped the pen from the air and made a correction on the page.

“I could, um, rub your feet, if you’d like,” Mortimer offered.

Erik turned to look at him with a raised brow. After a moment of consideration, he took the ben and notebook in hand.

“As you wish,” he said, the buckles on his boots unhooking themselves. He kicked off his shoes and stretched out his legs as Mortimer dropped to his knees before him.

As it turned out, massage therapy was another one of Mortimer’s talents, his thick fingers pressing perfectly into Erik’s sore arches, making him groan and bite his tongue to stifle the sounds he wanted to make. Erik sat the notebook and pen aside, allowing himself to indulge in the massage, eyes closed, leaning back on the sofa. When the other’s hands moved up to his thigh, he cracked an eye open to watch the younger man cautiously. 

“What are you doing?” he asked as Mortimer shifted his stance.

“You don’t want…? You’re- uh, you’re half-hard,” Mortimer said, his eyes wide, lips parted.

“It is a reaction to the sensation, dear,” Erik explained. He sat forward, letting Mortimer move forward to wrap his arms around the older man’s waist. Magneto rested his hands on Mortimer’s slightly hunched upper back. “I need to be honest with you,” Erik said softly, “I, uh, prefer women, my dear. I’m not entirely opposed to the affection of a man every now and again, but I don’t see you like that.” Mortimer looked down and away, burying his face in the older man’s button down. His brow creased and he fought off tears as Erik fought off the urge to sigh. “It’s not that I don’t care for you,” Erik reasoned, “because I do. Very much so. But the truth of the matter is I’m not interested in a relationship with anyone at this point. Especially not with someone I see as more of a son than a potential romantic interest. I mean you no offense, of course,” he said, running his fingers through the other’s hair. “I see you washed your hair correctly tonight. I’m proud of you, Mortimer.” The younger man looked up at Magneto with unshed tears brimming in his eyes. “Smile for me, dear,” Erik said, running one hand over Mortimer’s freshly shaven face.

The younger brunette turned his face into Magneto’s hand, kissing his palm. The older man tried to ignore the way his cock twitched at the contact, mentally berating himself for a moment before moving his hand away, back into the younger man’s hair. Mortimer gave a weak smile and gripped Erik’s knees. He laid his head in the other’s lap and sighed heavily.

“I don’t want you to feel like you have to repay me for anything I do for you with sexual favors. Those who made you feel like that is your only worth were wrong, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Mortimer muttered into a tense thigh. 

“Would you like to lay with me tonight?” Magneto offered.

Mortimer’s head shot up and he observed the older man’s face, taking in every detail, blinking, confused. 

“Just sleeping. No funny business,” Erik said with a soft smile.

“I’d like that,” Mortimer said quietly.

Erik had a feeling that he’d made the wrong call, but brushed it off.

“Alright, I just need to finish this and then we can get some rest,” he said, giving the younger man’s head one last pat.


	3. Chapter 3

Magneto’s arms were strong, and Mortimer had never felt safer than when he was wrapped up in them. He fell asleep nearly instantly and slept through the night with no nightmares. He woke the next morning to Erik playing with his hair. 

“Maybe we should give you that haircut, huh?” the older man offered.

Toad nodded without saying a word, and got out of the bed. He sat on the toilet lid and waited for the older brunette. 

The two discussed their plans for that day as Erik cut Mortimer’s hair. 

“Hmm, I’m not a hairdresser,” he said, motioning for Mortimer to get up and look in the mirror. “But I think it works. Tell me what you think.”

“I like it,” Mortimer said, running his fingers through his hair. His bangs curled slightly and it made him look almost cherubic. “I like it a lot.”

“Good then,” Erik said with a soft smile. “Go get dressed and start breakfast. I’ll join you after I shower.”

In the dining room, Magneto greeted everyone with a nod, giving Mortimer a pleased smile, accepting the plate he was offered. 

After a few drills, Mortimer was excused to go make lunch for the rest of them. Designer sandwiches. More drills and combat training and then dinner, which Magneto helped with. They made a beef stew and homemade sesame seed and sunflower kernel bread from a dough Mortimer had made the previous day. They had coffee with dinner, and headed off to Magneto’s sitting room for a nightcap.

Mortimer accepted the alcohol and sipped on it while Erik returned to his work, again idly rotating the pen as he thought. He looked over at Mortimer and smiled every once in a while, and the younger man couldn’t help but smile back. He felt warm and safe and loved, and Toad was pretty sure that wasn’t the alcohol talking. He sidled up to Erik, who ran his fingers through the other’s hair without even thinking about it.

“We will need to talk about this affectionate behavior at some point, but for now, it’s alright.” 

Mortimer whined softly, pressing his face into Erik’s shoulder.

\-----

“Move, you fool! I don’t have time to waste on your inability to follow simple orders!” Magneto hissed, urging Toad on.

The brunette was pulled from his fond memories rather cruelly, and hurried to move himself exactly where the other wanted him. He looked up at Magneto with pleading eyes. If he looked hard enough, he could still see the clear blue irises of the crystalline eyes that used to look at him with such fondness. He could sometimes convince himself that this was the same man, that if he just tried hard enough, the gloves would come off and fingers would pet his hair, that he’d be allowed to press himself against the older man’s side. He even managed to convince himself that ‘fool’ was his new pet name that replaced ‘dear’.

Occasionally, on days where Mortimer felt more like an individual rather than part of the Brotherhood Machine, he thought back on the days when he’d first joined up with Magneto and they seemed like a movie. A movie he’d seen as a child and only remembered bits and pieces of. He longed for those nights again, and sometimes questioned if they were even real or just in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a little sad. Sorry about that. Let me know what you think.

**Author's Note:**

> For good reason, I usually feature Magneto as a villain in my stories that center around Toad. However, I wanted to do a short piece with Magneto as a good guy with positive feelings for Toad, though not necessarily romantic or sexual.


End file.
